Missions Covered Approximately 500 Nautical Miles

MD Helicopters, Inc. (MDHI) has been flying humanitarian aid missions in a company-owned MD 520N supporting the fight against COVID-19. An MDHI pilot flew the first mission in one of the Company’s helicopters to the Navajo Nation, whose border is approximately 150 miles north of MDHI’s Mesa, AZ base of operations. The Navajo Nation covers 27,000 square miles that can be logistically challenging for transport of goods due to terrain and obstacles throughout its vast expanse.

Wrote DOT & FAA Urging Drone Use in COVID-19 Response

In a letter to DOT Secretary Elaine Chao and FAA Administrator Stephen Dickson, Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) and Jacky Rosen (D-NV) have called on the DOT and FAA to pursue pathways for the expedited use of drones to address key gaps in the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) response efforts. Specifically, the Senators highlight the need to promote access to key health care essentials for constituents that do not have direct access to needed medications, personal protective equipment (PPE), and other essential supplies by way of an accelerated pathway toward expanded beyond visual-line-of-sight (BVLOS) operations.

Airobotics Receives The World’s First Approval To Fly Over A Major Metropolis

As part of Singapore’s response to protect the public’s health during the coronavirus crisis, The Home Team Science & Technology Agency (HTX) of Singapore, has partnered with Airobotics, through its local partner, SJ Defence, the defence arm of Surbana Jurong (SJ) Group. HTX, a statutory board of the Ministry of Home Affairs in Singapore, is using Airobotics’ drone technology to augment Singapore Police Force’s (SPF) efforts in policing during this period to fly above a major industrial estate area to track anomalies such as congregations of people during the Circuit Breaker Period in Singapore.

'For Allegedly Violating Drug And Alcohol Testing Regulations...'

The FAA has proposed a $67,050 civil penalty against Wing Over L.A., of Van Nuys, Calif., for allegedly violating drug and alcohol testing regulations. The FAA alleges the commercial air tour company failed to administer pre-employment drug tests and receive verified negative results for six employees between May 1, 2018 and Sept. 13, 2019. Additionally, these safety-sensitive employees performed maintenance and preventive maintenance on aircraft used for commercial air tour operations when they were not subject to random drug and alcohol testing, the FAA alleges. Wings Over L.A. has 30 days after receiving the FAA’s enforcement letter to respond to the agency.

Atlanta GA Operator Busted for Alleged Illegal Charter

The FAA has proposed a $5.89 million civil penalty against Humes McCoy Aviation of Atlanta, Ga., for conducting hundreds of allegedly illegal charter flights. The FAA alleges Humes McCoy operated a Cessna Caravan, Beechcraft Super King Air and CASA 212-200 on a total of 270 illegal cargo flights in 2017, 2018 and 2019. The flights were illegal because the company did not have a commercial operating certificate, advertised and offered to perform operations that required such a certificate, received compensation for the flights, and used pilots who had not passed required tests and flight-competency checks, the FAA alleges.

"Critical Patent For The Safe And Precise Drone Delivery Of Packages"

Flirtey has been granted what they call a critical patent for the safe and precise drone delivery of packages. This key patent describes a combination of hardware and software that enables the delivery of packages by a drone, potentially lifting the package to pick it up, holding it securely and lowering it once at the point of delivery. Flirtey's drone delivers its contents by lowering a tether, while the drone is suspended in air, and once the package is delivered, it then retracts the tether. Flirtey invented this method of delivery to be the safest and most precise, and also claims that it has since become the standard for the drone delivery industry.

"Your Recent Story Promotes An Unfortunate Caricature Of Business Aviation"

A recent Bloomberg article missed the astounding impact of the Covid-19 crisis on charter operations, and the citizens, companies and communities relying on this American industry, NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen and NATA President and CEO Tim Obitts told the publisher in a letter to the editor. "'...in this Covid-19 moment, companies have widely halted business travel, causing charter flights to fall so dramatically that air-taxi providers have requested aid for the same reason countless other small businesses have taken the same step: to keep employees on the job. It’s too bad those employees — line workers, pilots, maintenance specialists, facility managers, customer-service representatives and others — didn’t warrant your attention,' they wrote."

Two-Part Virtual Event Now Scheduled

The FAA and AUVSI have announced the two-part virtual event for the revised FAA UAS Symposium – Remotely Piloted Edition, Episodes I and II, will take place on July 8 to 9 and August 18 to 19, 2020. Episode I is scheduled for July 8 to 9 with a focus on UAS traffic management (UTM) and international UAS integration. Episode II is planned for August 18 to 19 with a focus on UAS Integration Pilot Program (IPP) updates and public safety operations. Each event will feature keynote presentations, expert panels, guided and non-guided networking discussions, one-on-one meetings with experts in the FAA UAS Support Center and How-To Sessions with live Q&A.

Not The Best Time To Be Selling Big BizJets...

By Brian Foley of BRiFO E-I-C Note: Brian Foley, an aviation analyst we've worked with for quite a while, has reported on a recent trend... big bizjet sales are starting to take a dive. Here's his latest report... As the last decade commenced, the world had an insatiable appetite for the biggest of corporate jets. More recently though, that love affair has broken up as many of the previous demand drivers have gone the way of the Harlem Shake and planking.

Electric VTOL Aircraft Startup Archer Plans 150 MPH Four-Seater

eVTOL hopeful, Archer, has announced its official launch. Marc Lore, the CEO of Walmart eCommerce, is the largest investor in the company. Based in Palo Alto, Archer is dedicated to reshaping urban air mobility, focusing on saving time for users in urban areas. Archer is designing a fully electric aircraft that will take off and land vertically, and can carry four passengers for up to 60 miles at speeds of up to 150mph, all using today’s battery technologies. The battery powered aircraft aims to provide a faster, sustainable, and affordable urban transportation option. Archer’s unique design will also offer passengers increased safety while producing minimal noise compared to helicopters.